In the related art, a data recording apparatus for a vehicle is known (for example, see Patent Document 1) that records data in a nonvolatile memory showing a vehicle state in a case where a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle. In the data recording apparatus for a vehicle, data indicating the vehicle state is sampled every predetermined sampling time. Then, when it is determined that a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle, data for a predetermined period of time before the occurrence of the event and data for a predetermined period of time after the occurrence of the event are transferred to and are recorded in the nonvolatile memory. Note that the above-mentioned sampling time is determined as being different depending on the vehicle state. Therefore, in the data recording apparatus for a vehicle, it is possible to record data of the vehicle state before and after the occurrence of the event in the nonvolatile memory while saving the data recording capacity of the nonvolatile memory.
Further, in the data recording apparatus for a vehicle, the counter value when the event occurs is recorded in the nonvolatile memory for the purpose of determining when the event occurs. Note that a timer for data sampling is used in common for determining whether an event occurs. Therefore, timing of data sampling and timing of determining whether an event occurs are coincident with one another.